Picture projection screen and support



Jan. 13, 1959 L. A. PIDGEON 2,858,235

PICTURE PROJECTION SCREEN AND SUPPORT Filed NOV. 27, 1957 I 'NW- INVENTOR ATTORNEY United States Patent O PICTURE PROJECTION SCREEN AND SUPPORT Luther A. Pldgeon, Knightstown, Ind., assignor to Luther (L: Draper Shade Company, Spiceland, Ind., a partners ip Application November 27, 1957, Serial No. 699,380

7 Claims. (Cl. 160-323) This invention relates to a novel portable projection screen and screen supporting bar of extremely light-weight construction which is capable of being readily applied to or removed from horizontally spaced-supporting elements, and which can be applied to or removed from the supporting elements or manually carried without touching the screen.

More particularly, it is an aim of the present invention to provide a support for the screen including a light-weight bar of novel construction carrying shade roller brackets for mounting a conventional type of shade roller on which the projection screen is wound and supported.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel construction of bar which may be formed of a lightweight metal which, due to its unique cross sectional construction, will possess a high degree of rigidity and strength adequately capable of supporting the weight of a projection screen having a width of seventy inches.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a supporting bar the cross sectional shape of which in addition to providing maximum rigidity and strength also provides a convenient carrying handle by which the unit can be conveniently carried and handled.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure l is a fragmentary front elevational view showing the picture projection screen and support in an applied position;

Figure 2 is an end elevational view thereof, looking from left to right of Figure 1 and showing the screen fully wound upon the roller, and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 1 and showing the screen partially extended.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, the novel picture projection screen support in its entirety is designated generally 5 and includes an elongated bar, designated generally 6, of a lightweight metal which is relatively wide and of uniform angular cross sectional shape from end-to-end thereof.

The bar 6 includes a substantially horizontal intermediate portion 7 and a substantially flat rear wall 8 which extends upwardly from a back edge 9 of the horizontal portion 7 and which is disposed at approximately a right angle thereto. The bar 6 has a forwardly and downwardly curved top portion 10, formed by one longitudi nal edge portion thereof, which forms an extension of the upper edge of the back wall 8 and which overlies and is spaced from the intermediate portion 7. The bar 6 also includes a front wall 11 formed by the other longitudinal edge portion of said bar which forms a downwardly and rearwardly inclined extension of the front edge 12 of the intermediate portion 7. The bottom edge 13 of the front wall 11 is disposed substantially coplanar with the outer side of the rear wall 8, as seen in Figures 2 and 3. The rear wall 8 is provided with longitudinally "ice spaced, longitudinally elongated openings 14 for receiving hooks or other supporting elements on which the bar 6 is detachably suspended, as will hereinafter be described.

A pair of substantially conventional shade roller supporting brackets 15 and 16 are supported by and extend forwardly from the front wall 11. 'Ille brackets 15 and 16 project outwardly from beyond the ends of the front wall 11 and have inturned base portions 17 which are secured by rivets or other conventional fastenings 18 to the rear side of the front wall 11, as seen in Figures 2 and 3. The ends of the base portions 17 abut against the bead 13 and the underside of the intermediate portion 7 to provide maximum strength and stability in the mounting of the brackets 15 and 16 on the bar 6. The bracket 15 has the conventional circular opening, not shown, for receiving and journaling the spindle end 19 of a conventional spring operated shade roller 20. The bracket 16 has a conventional slot 21, as seen in Figure 2, in which the noncircular stem end 22 of the roller 20 nonturnably engages. As seen in Figure 2, the bracket 16 is modified to the extent that it is provided with openings 23 which straddle the open end of the slot 21 to receive a cotter pin 24 or other abutment element for closing the open end of the slot 21 to prevent disengagement of the stem 22 therefrom, so that the roller 20 is not removable from the brackets 15 and 16 while the abutment element 24 is applied to the bracket 16.

A strip of a fabric material constituting a motion picture projection screen 25 is wound on a roller 20 and has an inner end secured to the roller in any conventional manner. A weighted rod 26 is secured in a hem 27 of the other outer end of the projection screen 25 and has end portions 28 extending beyond the ends of the hem 27. The terminals of the rod ends 28 are spaced apart a distance greater than the spacing between the brackets 15 and 16, as seen in Figure 1, so that when the screen 25 is fully wound on the roller 20 the rod ends 28 will bear against the bottom edges of the brackets 15 and 16 to cooperate with the spring tension of the roller 20 for maintaining the screen 25 tightly wound on the roller. A screw eye 29 is anchored in the intermediate portion of the rod 26 and extends outwardly from the outer or bottom portion of the hem 27. A ring 30 is suspended from the screw eye 29 and is adapted to be engaged for extending the screen 25 and tor releasing the roller to rewind the screen.

The openings 14 are adapted to engage supporting elements such as hooks projecting from any substantially upright supporting surface for mounting the supporting bar 6 thereon. As the unit is especially adapted for classroom use in connection with the showing of motion pictures or slides, the unit is illustrated] in the drawing as supported by conventional map hooks 31 each of which is carried by a bracket 32 having turned back ends which fit around and slidably engage upper and lower edges of a conventional headrail 33 of a blackboard or chalkboard 34.

It will be readily apparent that the thumbs can be inserted under the overhanging top portion 10 for applying the bar 6 to or removing said bar from the hooks 31. Also, the parts 8 and 10 form a hook shaped portion extending from end-to-end of the supporting bar 6 into l which the fingers can be inserted for carrying the bar and in the plane of the outer side of the rear wall 8 to engage the supporting surface against which the rear wall is disposed for stably supporting the bar and to prevent rocking movement thereof.

It will thus be seen that the cross sectional shape of the supporting bar in addition to providing great rigidity so that the bar may be formed of lightweight metal further provides means for conveniently handling the bar and for causing the bar to be stably supported. The bar 6 may be made in various lengths and. is capable of supporting a roller and screen of approximately six feet in length, even though said bar is constructed of a lightweight metal.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may be resorted to, without departing from the function or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination with a picture projection screen, a spring operated roller on which the screen is wound, an elongated rigid supporting bar, roller supporting brackets secured to and projecting outwardly from said supporting bar in which the roller is mounted, said bar having an upper portion of hook shaped cross section extending from end-to-end thereof including a substantially at upright portion constituting a rear wall of the bar, said rear wall being provided with hook receiving openings, said bar including a substantially at intermediate portion extending outwardly from the bottom edge of said rear wall, and a bottom portion forming a depending extension of an outer front edge of said intermediate portion.

2. In a combination as defined by claim 1, said bottom portion having an upper edge forwardly oiset from the plane of said rear wall by said intermdiate portion, and said roller supporting brackets being secured to .and projecting outwardly from said bottom portion of the bar.

3. A picture projection screen and support as in claim 2, said bottom portion being inclined downwardly and rearwardly from said intermediate portion and being disposed at an acute angle thereto, the bottom edge of said bottom portion of the bar being disposed substantially coplanar with said rear wall.

4. A shade roller support comprising an elongated bar of lightweight metal of angular cross sectional shape from end-to-end thereof including a substantially horizontally disposed Hat intermediate portion, a rear wall extending upwardly from a back edge of said intermediate portion, a top wall of arcuate cross section forming a curved extension of the upper edge of said rear wall and overlying and disposed above and spaced from said intermediate portion, said rear wall being provided with spaced hook receiving openings, a front wall forming a depending extension of a forward edge of said intermediate portion, and shade roller supporting brackets secured to and extending forwardly from said front wall.

5. A shade roller support as in claim 4, said front wall being inclined downwardly and rearwardly from said intermediate portion and having a bottom edge disposed substantially coplanar with said rear wall.

6. A shade roller support as in claim 4, said rear wall and top wall combining to form an elongated hook shaped handle portion extending from end-to-end of the bar.

7. A shade roller support as in claim 4, said front wall being inclined downwardly and rearwardly from said intermediate portion and having a bottom edge disposed substantially eoplanar with said rear wall, said rear wall and top wall combining to form a hook shaped handle portion extending from endtoend of the bar, and the underside of said intermediate portion forming a ngerhold behind said front wall and accessible between the front wall and rear wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 518,737 Hoffman Apr. 24, 1894 926,630 White June 29, 1909 1,171,362 Sprinchorn et al Feb. 8, 1916 1,349,430 Nilson et al. Aug` 10, 1920 1,637,763 Clegg Aug. 2, 1927 

